The Night You Died
by Un tango mas
Summary: Lily's sacrifice is always mentioned in the novels, but JKR never said if another sacrifice was possible, with a completely different outcome...theoretically I think this was possible, or not?


One-shot - Is it just me or did J. K. Rowling forget something?!

Everything belongs to JKR except an idea and the resulting action.

**The Night you died**

The night was slowly creeping in. The streets were dark and quiet, except for the sound of windswept autumn leafs. Every witch and wizard was already home, avoiding the chill of the late October night. All but one. A lone, dark figure had apparated in one of the small town's streets. It turned, looking at the nearby houses with its piercing gaze. Its glowing red eyes stopped on one of the houses. The windows were closed but the curtains were pulled aside exposing a luminous living room. A dark haired man crossed that room and a triumphant sneer formed on the dark figure's face. It grasped the wand firmer and walked towards the entrance door.

Lily was comfortably sitting on an armchair near the hearth. She was rocking Harry in her arms. He had almost fallen asleep and James crossed the room towards them, picking up a camera.  
"Smile, Lily!" he said to his wife. She lifted her eyes from the baby and smiled, but her smile froze on her lips as the entrance door shattered with a loud bang.  
"No!" was all she could say as she swiftly stood up. Awoken by the sudden noise and movement, Harry was crying in his mother's arms.  
"Lily, run!" James yelled, "I'll hold him back."  
"James…" tears were already building in her eyes. James and Lily exchanged a short glance.  
"He will never harm you, I promise!" he said as Lily rushed upstairs.

He had for a second considered waiting until they were asleep; the Potters were after all very skilled. But then again he liked nothing better than a challenge, to prove he was the strongest wizard alive, the one nobody dared face or call by his name.  
A cold laughter escaped his throat as he was faced with James Potter, wandless and clearly afraid.  
"Leave us be, Voldemort!" James cried trying to block the way to the stairs, his arms outstretched.  
"My, my, how brave you are" Voldemort mocked.  
"You shall not harm them" James said, his eyes fixed on the Dark Lord's.  
"Well, if you insist, James… Avada Kedavra!" a green flash escaped Voldemort's wand and hit James who fell backwards, arms still outstretched.

Lily was holding Harry to her chest. Her mind was racing, trying to find a way to escape. She was considering the window when she heard it, the Killing Curse. Her heart stopped and tears began pouring freely across her cheeks. It hadn't been James' voice.  
She barely managed to stand, not even remembering when she had fallen, as the door to their dormitory was blasted apart. And he came in. His white face and red eyes seemed to glow in the semi-darkness of the room.  
"Put the boy away and leave!" he ordered her, pointing his wand.  
"Never!" Lily spat, clutching Harry even tighter.  
"Don't be a fool, girl." But Lily had already turned her back to him, crying as she kissed Harry goodbye. She could feel his anger and then it came, the Curse. Lily heard him shout the two words, she felt it's power as it hit her back and everything went to pieces around her and then it was dark.

"Severus?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the young man next to him. He was pressing his right hand over the left forearm, a pained grimace on his face.  
"Severus, is something wrong? A summon?" Dumbledore sounded concerned.  
"I…I don't know" Severus said through gritted teeth. "It has never been so strong before."  
"Let me see" the Headmaster demanded, but Severus had pulled his arm away.  
"There's nothing to be ashamed of, my boy. Let me look" but the young teacher had already started to lift his sleeve, the burning feeling was too intense.  
An audible gasp escaped his throat when he looked at the reddened skin. Dumbledore too stared in amazement at the red skin where the Dark Mark should have been.  
"What…how?" was all Severus could muster.  
"The Potters!" Dumbledore exclaimed, a panicked expression crossing his face.  
"You think…but, how? Is he…" the young man said, still not managing to express his questions coherently.  
"I must go, Severus" the Headmaster said pensively. "If this means what I think it does…"  
"Take me with you! Please Headmaster" Severus pleaded, standing up as well.  
"Severus…I don't think it's a good idea."  
"Albus, please…trust me, let me go with you, please."  
Dumbledore still looked unwilling, but Severus' desperate expression convinced him. And perhaps it was better for him not to go alone anyway.  
"Very well, let us hurry then" he said making his way to the door.  
Severus promptly followed and they hurried out of the castle, towards the gates. Dumbledore had to stop once to catch his breath, but they were both breathing heavily by the time they were outside the school's grounds.  
"Give me your hand Severus and don't concentrate on any place you know" the Headmaster said, reaching out his arm.  
Severus took his hand and let him apparate them to the Potter's home.  
'Where were they?' he wondered, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings of what appeared to be a small neighborhood. People, wizards and witches, were gathered outside a house but neither seemed to dare enter.  
'That's it' Severus thought, following Dumbledore through the crowd.  
The door was completely destroyed, shattered across the lobby and a fire was still burning in the fireplace.  
"No!" Dumbledore cried, "James!" and he quickly strode to the bottom of the stairs, where James lay. Severus followed him. He didn't know what to feel, his lifelong enemy was now gone, but there was no relief in Severus as he stared disbelievingly at James and the Headmaster, kneeling to the other's side.  
Everything else was like a trance to Severus. He thought he heard baby-cries, he could see himself run up the stairs, the Headmaster shouting after him. He saw the other broken door and the cries were quite audible now. The room was dark but for the moonlight and Severus did not think to light it further with his wand. He just stared transfixed at the room, the ceiling, the blasted walls and shattered furniture until he heard another cry.  
She was there, lying on the floor silent and motionless, the baby crying and moving by her side. Severus fell to his knees, like the Headmaster had done earlier. His eyes were stinging as he reached a hand to touch her for the first time in so many years. Severus placed his hand on her back and then…she…whimpered.  
"Severus…" Dumbledore said from the doorway, his breath rapid again from the stairs.  
But Severus didn't hear him, his hand had swiftly moved to Lily's neck. Relief spread trough him and he sighed as his fingers felt a pulse. He jumped then as a hand touched his shoulder, the Headmaster looking confused and tired.  
"She's…alive" Severus said.

'Where am I?' Lily thought when she opened her eyes, blinking several times to become accustomed to the bright light in the room. She was lying on her left side, facing a wall.  
Questions were filling her mind and she tried to turn around, wincing as she sat on her back.  
"Lily, my dear" she heard someone say.  
"Albus?" she asked, looking at the old man who was standing up from a chair next to her bed. So she was in a bed…  
"Where am I? What happened?" she asked in an instant.  
Dumbledore's expression was grave as he told her she was in St. Mungo's.  
"Do you remember what happened last night, Lily?" he asked and she stared at him, obviously making an effort to remember.  
"I'm afraid we have been betrayed, Voldemort found you and…" his voice trailed off.  
Lily's mouth fell open as she remembered.  
"Harry? James? Where are they?" she asked desperately, staring around. "Albus?"  
Dumbledore sighed and looked away.  
"Young Harry is fine, my dear, he's sleeping as we speak, in the nursery" he began and heard Lily breathe out in relief.  
"And he is gone now, Tom Riddle, he was defeated eventually."  
"I…he…" Lily began "How can I still be here, Albus? He…killed me, the Killing Curse, it hit me, I remember…" She looked at him wild-eyed and Dumbledore sat back on the chair, pulling it closer and taking her hands in his.  
"We realized that" Dumbledore said, "the Healers had never seen such a scar as the one on your back, where the curse must have hit you." Lily still looked confused, her eyes connected to the Headmaster's.  
"It was love that saved you, I believe" Dumbledore continued, "Something Tom never appreciated nor feared."  
"Love…" Lily whispered, tears building in her eyes.  
"James' love" Dumbledore said. "He…gave his life to protect you, his wife and child. And it was this sacrifice that destroyed Voldemort. He doesn't understand such magic and his mistake cost…" but the Headmaster stopped in mid-sentence as a sob escaped Lily's lips.  
"He…promised me…James" she said, tears running down her cheeks once again.

Severus looked at her through the slightly opened door. She was crying, holding Dumbledore's hands, grieving her loss…but she was alive, Severus thought, wondering what would become of this.


End file.
